Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

After 11 Years in Foster Care, Teen Now Has Forever Family

Aug 30, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Did you know that not all adoption finalizations happen in a courtroom? There are many circumstances that could lead to a finalization happening at home, over the phone! That’s exactly how it happened for the Buchanan family when they adopted Heather.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Michigan Governor Honors Whirlpool Corp. for Community Service

Aug 30, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Whirlpool Corporation was among the winners of the 2017 Governor's Service Awards. The company was honored in the Corporate Community Leader category after being nominated by United Way of Southwest Michigan.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Aflac Tells the World How Much Good It Does

Aug 30, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Aflac—the well-known insurance organization with the famous duck mascot—takes its corporate social responsibilities seriously. The organization recently passed the $110 million mark in support for childhood cancer treatment and research, and has appeared on Ethisphere’s “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list 11 years in a row. Yet a Reputation Institute report found that consumers weren’t aware of its good works. That revelation led to a multifaceted effort to raise awareness of Aflac’s CSR efforts. It also led to Aflac winning first place for “Campaign of the Year” in PR Daily’s 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

PNC Foundation Commits $250,000 To Hurricane Harvey Relief

Aug 30, 2017 10:35 AM ET

The PNC Foundation today announced that it will donate $250,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. The foundation also will match PNC employee contributions to the American Red Cross that support the Hurricane Harvey relief effort, up to a total of $100,000.

Innovation & Technology

Project SAM Gave a Paralyzed Racer His Wheels Back—and He Took Us for a Spin

Aug 30, 2017 10:30 AM ET

We've been for rides in quite a few autonomous cars of late, but today was something a little more special. Today, we went for a ride in Project SAM—short for Semi Autonomous Motorcar.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sustainability: Bombay's Answer

Aug 30, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire distillery in Hampshire, England is an example of how a big brand is pushing for a more sustainable and clean living agenda. Step one towards sustainability is controlling the population, and every drop of gin inside the iconic sapphire-tinted bottles, is distilled under one roof by three men.

Research, Reports & Publications

Electric Industry Leaders Planning Capital Investments

Aug 30, 2017 10:00 AM ET

While the White House’s plans for a $1 trillion federal infrastructure program continue to coalesce, one recent estimate puts the depreciated value of the American electric infrastructure—including power plants, transmission lines, distribution lines, substations and transformers—at around $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, with a replacement value of $4.8 trillion.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides a Total of $30.6 Million in Financing for Affordable Housing in Miami

Aug 30, 2017 10:00 AM ET

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment has provided $30.6 million in financing to the Housing Trust Group of Coconut Grove, FL for the new construction of Princeton Park Apartments, a 150-unit LIHTC affordable apartment property located approximately 25 miles southwest of Miami. Specifically, KeyBank arranged a $23.3 million construction loan and a $7.3 million permanent loan through a Freddie Mac 9% LIHTC Forward Commitment product from its Targeted Affordable Housing platform.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sands ECO360 Strategy

Aug 30, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Operating a sustainable business means focusing on the areas where we have the greatest impact and where we can make meaningful improvement through investments, partnerships and scalable solutions.

Diversity & Inclusion

Top 10 Reasons Why MGM Resorts Is an Employer of Choice

Aug 30, 2017 10:00 AM ET

We practice and encourage Corporate Social Responsibility as a fundamental part of our character, our core values and the way we do business.

Sustainable Development Goals

Stakeholders Share Views for Advancing SDGs

Aug 30, 2017 9:25 AM ET

Representative of UN agencies, UN Regional Commissions, academia, civil society, and the private sector share multifaceted perspectives and recommendations for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a blog series managed by the UN Division for Sustainable Development (DSD).

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Unreasonable Impact | Rescuing Old Clothes From Landfills by Turning Them Into New Fabric and Fuel

Aug 30, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Jeplan envisions a circular world in which we take all used or unwanted personal belongings, recycle the materials, and then sell them as new products. Starting with cotton and polyester, this company is reimagining waste disposal, which reduces the use of petroleum and diminishes carbon emissions. Based in Japan, Jeplan has established collection points around the country in collaboration with major retail and apparel brands to gather discarded clothes. Then, Jeplan sells the final products back to these brands and their consumers.

Research, Reports & Publications

Infographic: See the Aflac 2016 CSR Year in Review

Aug 30, 2017 9:00 AM ET

In this year’s report, Aflac employees and independent sales agents who have embodied the theme, Everyone has the power to do good, share stories about Aflac’s commitment to ethics, a happy and diverse workplace, philanthropy and environmental sustainability.

Environment

Washington Hawthorn: A Symbol of Hope

Aug 30, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Native to the southeast U.S., the Washington hawthorn was first discovered by an unknown explorer and taken to England in the late 1600s.

Diversity & Inclusion

INFOGRAPHIC: PANDORA is Committed to Providing Proper Working Conditions

Aug 30, 2017 9:00 AM ET

In 2015, PANDORA launched a new Code of Ethics, stipulating our ethical aspirations as a company and our ethical expectations to the behavior of our people. The code covers areas such as human rights, working conditions, environmental footprint, anti-corruption and supplier relations. Building on our ethics policies (available on www.pandoragroup.com/csr), the code offers our employees one common point of reference for ethical dilemmas backed by training modules spanning hiring procedures, workplace ethics and anti-harassment to fraud, gift giving and misuse of company assets.

Education

Subaru and AAAS Present: After-school Science

Aug 30, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Subaru and AAAS invite you to bring science into your daily life with these five resources that offer kids the opportunity to learn fun science concepts by conducting their very own science experiments. The activities are designed to be comfortable for non-scientist adults to supervise, to utilize materials found around the home, and to be flexible for time, space, and number of participants.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Rebuilding Together and Lowe’s to Host Annual Building a Healthy Neighborhood Event in Baltimore, Md.

Aug 30, 2017 8:10 AM ET

Rebuilding Together, a leading national nonprofit that rebuilds homes and communities for people in need throughout the country, will join together with its affiliate, Rebuilding Together Baltimore, to lead its seventh annual Building a Healthy Neighborhood community revitalization project in Baltimore, Md.

Health & Healthcare

Elite Paint Receives First Lead Safe Paint® Certification in Bangladesh

Aug 30, 2017 6:30 AM ET

Elite Paint is the first paint company in Bangladesh to achieve Lead Safe Paint® certification. Paints from Elite Paint were certified by leading third-party certifier SCS Global Services (SCS), the program’s exclusive certification body in Bangladesh. SCS’ independent analysis confirmed that paint brands from the company contained less than a total of 90 ppm lead.

Environment

Driving Progress on Water Stewardship

Aug 29, 2017 8:35 PM ET

In recognition of World Water Week and its theme, “Water and Waste: Reduce and Reuse”, we are highlighting Newmont’s commitment to transparency as it relates to the Company’s global water strategy. This is the first in a series of blogs on Newmont’s water performance.

Energy

What Happened to Solar Energy During the Eclipse?

Aug 29, 2017 5:35 PM ET

Instead of watching the Great American Eclipse on Monday, Duke Energy grid operators were watching the grid. For the most part, everything went as expected when the moon created a dusk-like darkness over North Carolina’s solar panels.

Innovation & Technology

Applying a Pattern of Excellence

Aug 29, 2017 5:30 PM ET

Imagine an innovation that reduces the accumulation of bacteria the moment germs hit a surface by 90–95 percent without the use of toxic chemicals that can lead to the development of resistant organisms. It may sound like something straight out of a science fiction novel, but it’s real—and Sappi paper helps make it possible.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Republic Services Sponsors 4th Annual 'Childrenz Challenge' at Michigan International Speedway

Aug 29, 2017 4:15 PM ET

Republic Services recently supported the fourth annual “Childrenz Challenge”, founded by Scott Vitale in 2013, held at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, MI. The mud-filled 20 obstacle course was designed for children ages 4-13. This year’s course, with the help of Republic Services, featured a 36 foot-long water slide that sent participants into a puddle of mud to cap off the course.

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar's Integrated Value Chain

Aug 29, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Environment

Everyday Champion Eduardo López Merges Innovation and Tradition at Casa Herradura

Aug 29, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Eduardo López oversees one of Brown-Forman's Casa Herradura factories in Amatitán, Mexico. Merging innovation and tradition, he and his co-workers found a way to save energy and water while retaining the tequila’s unique flavor.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership | Part 1: Find the Right Partner

Aug 29, 2017 4:00 PM ET

To make true progress on the world’s largest societal issues — such as community health, economic development, and education and skills development—governments, companies, and nonprofits must work together. But, how does a company or organization develop and sustain successful public-private partnerships to achieve large-scale impact?